Enforcement and Accountability

Recently I responded to a discussion question on a LinkedIn group forum. The question dealt with how to enforce standards in a data management and stewardship scenario. The other responses mentioned the use of various committees and steering groups as well as management partners for enforcement of standards. One response suggested that a lot of messy people problems could be avoided if automated tools were used to find areas of non-compliance.

I can't help but think that we, as a society, must be nearing the pinnacle (or the pit) of buck passing. When I as an individual choose to ignore an incident in which an action by someone else either ignores the general good or threatens the welfare of all, I am turning my back on accountability and passing the buck to "someone" else.

There have been many instances in which a malefactor, caught in the act, has told me, "What's it to you? What do you care?" If I point out that the action was, for example, in violation of published standards, I might hear, "Nobody follows that. I didn't know it existed until you showed it to me."

The point is that it takes a lot of will in the face of widespread apathy to be accountable for not only following standards, but insisting that others follow them. A study, which I am unable to cite, showed that the rate of deterioration in a neighborhood increases when individual incidents are ignored. For example, a window broken by vandals goes unrepaired or "tagging" of a wall is not erased. Ignoring an incident encourages similar incidents and then worse ones.

I realize I am comparing failure to follow standards with vandalism and I do this with intent. If we assume the existence of a set of standards, they must have a purpose. Normally, the purpose is related to quality. Every manager wants their organization to run like a "well-oiled machine." When an organization does runs this way, we say it is a quality organization. Ignoring a standard is like dropping a grain of sand into the machine. Everything may proceed with one grain, but as one grain encourages two and then three, ..., eventually the machine will break down.

Bottom line: if you're looking for someone else to enforce standards, you're looking in the wrong place. It's up to me and it's up to you. If it's a bad standard, then it's up to me and you to get it fixed. Without personal, individual accountability, you will never get adherence. Enforcement is an empty concept even outside the workplace. People will not endure coercion for long.